Think of bridal showers as a formal affair – think gussied up, your best sundress, and your favorite accent jewelry. Let’s take a look at some do’s and don’ts when it comes to your bridal shower attire!

Bridal Shower by Yi Tsang Chen

What to Wear: This day is all about you as a woman who’s about to bask in the glory of wife-hood, so embrace it! Own this day with a snappy outfit that really brings out your soon-to-be wedding day glow. Here are a few options for you to try!

Dresses: This is a very popular choice, simply because of its feminine aura. A few great dresses include:

Sundresses:A gorgeous sundress is definitely a go-to, especially in the summer months. Choose a sundress that’s posh and elegant. Any style, color, and length is a great choice! If you want to be super “put-together” you could even choose a sundress that matches your wedding colors.

Maxi Dress/Skirt: I personally love this option because there is so much you can do with a maxi skirt. A maxi dress is fantastic too because not only is it comfortable, but you can make it as fancy or as comfortable as you want.

Maxi Dress by KristinaJ.

Shoes: For you spring or summer brides, the world of shoes is open to you. Remember though to wear shoes that are appropriate for your location – for those outside, avoid stilettos. For those inside, your options are endless! Here are some great ideas:

Sandals: Sandals are fantastic since they go with anything and everything. Choose a sandal that’s super girly, blingy, and feminine!

Jewelry: You can really sass up your attire by adding some chunky jewelry! By throwing on a large bubble necklace or dangling earrings, you can really add some spice to your appearance. Throw on your favorite watch and a bracelet or two, and your look is complete!

Statement Necklace by Carolina Buzio

Colors: This is totally up to you, and whatever color you choose will look fantastic, but since you’re the bride, you could always opt for a white dress/skirt and white accent pieces to really pinpoint you as the bride and center of attention. If you choose not to wear white, opt for a bright color or a printed dress.

What Not to Wear: So, we’ve taken a look at some great pieces that you can throw together for a perfect bridal party, but what about the pieces you should avoid? Here’s a list of no-no’s you should definitely avoid:

Cut-off Shorts: These are great for days at the house, shopping, or hanging out, but cut-off jean shorts look tacky at an event like this. If you want to wear shorts, opt for a classy, longer cut short, like a Lilly Pulitzer piece .

T-Shirts: I know this seems obvious, but please avoid your t-shirts for this special occasion, no matter how “fancy” or bejeweled it is. Instead, opt for a blouse or a tank and jean jacket if you’re wearing a maxi skirt.

Flip Flops: Sandals are OK, flip flops are not. Take your flip flops to the beach, not your bridal shower.

Mini Skirts or Mini Dresses: Although great for the club, a super short skirt or super short dress isn’t appropriate. You want your image to be classy, chic, elegant, sophisticated, feminine, and pretty, not racy and club-ready.

So now that you have a few ideas, remember to enjoy this day and to relax! This is a moment where you get to spend a few precious hours with the ladies you love most!

Let’s be honest, how many times have you taken home your favors from a wedding? Most of the time, if we’re honest, we accidentally leave them on the tables, not even giving them a second thought. As the bride, you put a little thought, time, and maybe even effort into the favors, so to find almost every single one still on the table is a little bit of a waste. So the million dollar question is, to favor or not to favor? Here are some reasons why you don’t have to, but here are also some great ideas (and reasons) why you should! It’s not a “must-do” in the wedding world to give favors, so in the end it’s most definitely your choice!

CD of Wedding Music as Favors by Salicia

To Favor: It’s been done for as long as we can remember; it’s a tradition most all traditional brides follow. But is it really mandatory? Here are some reasons to favor…

One great reason favors are a good idea is because all of your guests took time out of their day, their weekend, to come and celebrate with you. Yes, you invited them and you’re feeding them, but they didn’t have to come. It’s a sweet little thank you to top of their evening.

Ring the Bell Wedding Favors by Joshua

You don’t have to go all out when it comes to favors. You can find super cute, really inexpensive alternatives to your mini mason jars of local honey (which is expensive). Instead, you can opt for great ideas that are cheap, easy to do, and may be even DIY!

DIY Wedding Favors by Salicia

If you’re still not convinced, here’s another idea for you: your favors can pull double duty. Not only can they be decoration pieces for your table, but they can also be the favors your guests take home. Whether they’re mini bouquets, or little mini chocolates, it’s a great idea. Who doesn’t like a decoration piece that pulls double duty?

Wedding Favors by Kat Jenkinson

They can also be used for seating arrangements. For example, you can use little mini wooden keys with each guests name tied on it as both the seating placement and a mini favor. Think of little things that guests would like to take home.

Or Not to Favor: Ok, so we’ve taken a gander at some great reasons why you should favor, and why many (well, most) brides do choose to do so. If you’re still not convinced, here are a couple reasons to back you up:

Like I’ve mentioned before, not a lot of guests actually take them home. Therefore, those little wedding favors you spent time looking for, buying, and putting together are nothing but food for the garbage.

If you’re on a budget and your budget just can’t splurge the extra dollars, it’s ok to forgo them. Again, like I said before, your guests won’t even realize they’re missing.

Now that we have a few reasons why and why not, it’s up to you to decide. In general etiquette terms, it’s not necessary, but it is definitely a good way to say thank you. Whether your favors pull double duty or you try little mini favors, your guests will still be appreciative of the idea. So weigh the pros and cons and decide to favor or not to favor!

So, we’ve taken a gander and tried our hands at DIY bridal shower banners, but what about the rest of the bridal shower décor? There are hundreds of fabulous ideas, so I’m gonna go ahead and give you some fantastic ideas that are my absolute favorite. For those of you who are going for a vintage chic or rustic look, than these are some great ideas just for you!

Bridal Shower Decorations by Pup Fan

Decoration Ideas: You want to keep in mind that some of your decoration pieces (if not all) could be used as gifts for the bride! So here are some great ideas that pull double duty:

Chalkboard Signage: One of my absolute favorite ideas is the chalkboard sign. You can really gussy it up and make it look fabulous. Now that we have the chalkboard ready and in place, here are some things you can write on it:

Their love story- give a timeline of when the bride-to-be and groom-to-be met and their life thereafter. It’s cute and gives a little history

Painted Mason Jars: Ok, mason Jars are my absolute favorite, especially because you can use them for just about anything, like vases! To make the mason jar a little more shabby chic, paint it a pastel or white color.

What To Do: Now that you have all the materials you need, here’s how to make your fancy & gorgeous mason jars!

Thoroughly clean each jar with rubbing alcohol to make sure each jar is 100%, totally clean.

Paint the jars with your choice of acrylic paint color. Make sure to double coat it.

Let it dry overnight to make sure no finger prints or smudges are accidentally added.

Once it’s dry, spray it over with the sealer to ensure the paint doesn’t chip.

Once the sealer is dry, take your sandpaper and distress it where you want. The 120 grit sandpaper is best for the lip area, and the emery board is usually used to barely distress the label. Now you’re all done!

Confetti Balloons: Every party has to have balloons, right? So what better way to make it chic and girly than to dip your balloons in confetti! It’s super easy and super cute. Here’s the how-to:

What to Do: Now that all your items are collected, here’s the uber easy how-to:

Inflate all of your balloons

Paint the bottom (where the knot is tied) with your decoupage. Put a nice thin, even layer so the confetti will definitely stick.

Before the glue dries, sprinkle on your confetti. Once you have the desired amount of confetti on the balloon, let them sit and dry. You’re all done!

I absolutely love each and every one of these super easy and inexpensive ideas. Not only are they super cute, but the chalkboard and mason jars can be used for home decoration pieces! Now that you have a few ideas, have some fun getting the bridal shower prepped and ready!

What is the first thing you see when you walk into a room for a bridal shower besides the guests? It’s the bridal banner! It’s strung up above the designated seat of honor, haloing the bride-to-be. There are so many different styles and types of banners, choosing just the right one can seem like searching for a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can purchase pre-made banners, but what about making your own? It’s personal, fun, and a wonderful way to honor the bride-to-be! So, here are the directions and how-to’s for making your very own bridal shower banner!

Bridal Shower Banner by Pup Fan

What You Need: Many brides use pretty paper and card stock, string and glitter to make their bridal banners, but my favorite has to be a rustic-country styled banner; using white chipboard, card stock, and twine, you can make one gorgeous banner! So, here’s what you need:

What To Do: Now that we have our materials in hand, let’s go ahead and see what all it takes to make this one-of-a-kind banner!

Cut holes into the top corners of the chipboard sheets

With the colored card stock and letter stencils, cut out the letters to make what you want it to say. Examples include:

Soon to be Mrs.!

From Miss to Mrs.

Happily Ever After

Future Mrs. ________

Bride To Be

Once all of your letters are cut out, glue them to each chipboard sheet. Let them dry for a while before moving/touching.

In between each word, place a chipboard with a heart glued on it to space out the words.

Once you have all the letters and hearts glued onto the chipboard sheets, string your twine through the holes. Your banner is now complete!

This is one of my favorite banners and it’s super easy to make and pretty inexpensive too! With all of your materials in order, it can cost around $25. Now, most all of those products were found on Amazon.com and the cheaper prices are for those with an Amazon Prime membership. There are plenty of other places you can buy those products for inexpensive as well, but Amazon is one of my favorites. You can try websites such as eBay.com, officedepot.com, and staples.com. Any of those websites are bound to have the materials you need to make your bridal shower banner.

Now that you have an idea, directions, and a price range, making the bridal banner is as easy as 1-2-3!

We’ve talked a smidge about some great bridesmaid gift ideas, but those were all ones you could purchase online or in a store. Buying gifts can be expensive, so what’s a great alternative? Yep, you guessed it, DIY! So let’s go ahead and take a look at some great DIY bridesmaid gift ideas!

Foot Scrub by Leslie

1) Fabulous Foot Scrub: Every busy woman knows that the last thing to get taken care of is, unfortunately, your tootsies. Here’s the clincher… you need your feet to be happy, healthy, and looking good to keep you up and active! Your bridesmaids have been all over town with you, helping you with this and that, so thank them with a delicious homemade foot scrub!

Personalized Note Cards by Missive Press

2) Note Cards: I cannot tell you how many times I’ve run around the house looking for note cards or thank you cards and have come up empty handed. That means an unplanned run to the grocery store which includes packing up the baby, grabbing the purse, and going out. Not an ideal way to start the day. So, prep your bridesmaids with personalized thank you cards! Purchase a whole bunch of plain white cards and a stamp that comes with the letters you need. For each bridesmaid, stamp the first letter of their first or last name on the front of card. Easy peasy, personalized, and very much appreciated!

Lip Balm by Dotty Finlow

3) Lip Smacking Homemade Lip Balm: Every woman loses at least 3 lip balms within, I’d say, a month, maybe two? What better way to restore your bridesmaid’s supply than with homemade lip balm? Ask each one of your bridesmaids what their favorite flavor is and then make some delicious lip balm! There are tons of great recipes, such as a homemade Burt’s Bees lip balm that’s super easy and crazy inexpensive, but here’s a tried-and-true recipe from none other than Martha Stewart. It’s easy and you can personalize it with whatever flavor you want.

Homemade Bath Salts by Maciej (Mat) Radoszewski

4) Deliciously Salty Bath Salts: A long soak in the tub, surrounded by delicious aromas of strong, rejuvenating bath salts is the best way to recoup after a long day. And a wedding is definitely considered a long (but amazing!) day! Personally, I think bath salts are the greatest idea ever, and not only is it wonderful, but it’s wonderfully easy to make! Here’s a super simple recipe from Martha Stewart (of course!) and another great recipe for all you lavender lovers like me!

Teacup Candle by Rosie

5) Teacup Candles: I’ve seen this idea at least four or five times, and every time I come across it, I’m tempted to try it! Teacup Candles are not only super easy to make, but if your bridesmaids love candles like me (I’m probably one of the biggest candle fanatics you’ll find), than they will definitely appreciate this gift! The best part is shopping for the teacups at antique stores, garage sales, and yard sales; you can find all kinds of really neat teacups for super cheap!

Alright ladies, now that we have a couple of great ideas, making some fabulous bridesmaids gifts should be fun, easy, and relatively inexpensive! Happy crafting!

Flowers are one of those timeless treasures that never cease to bring a smile, a blush, a skipping heartbeat – flowers are an example of a love that grows with treasured care and love. With the right soil, water, sunlight, and care, flowers grow to be ornaments of pure astounding beauty; same with love. There are so many occasions where flowers are a meaningful addition to a perfect day. What are some of those occasions, you might ask? Alright gentleman, grab your pen and paper (or iPad, phone, tablet, or whatever it is you use!) and take note – these occasions are the best times to give the lady of your dreams a bouquet of flowers.

Daffodil Bouquet by Josh Lowensohn

Will You Be My Valentine? This is probably one of the most obvious occasions where flowers are a perfect touch to a romantic day, afternoon, or evening. Valentines flowers are absolutely perfect – they set the mood of pure romance as the heavenly scent of roses permeates the air.

Bashful Birthday Babe: It’s her birthday, and whether or not she’s excited about it, giving her a gorgeous bouquet of flowers is important. Make it unique by choosing “birth flowers” – it’s the same idea as a birthstone. Each month has a special flower, and by getting your wife, fiancé, or girlfriend her birth flower, it shows her you put a little effort into the choosing! Here’s a list of birth flowers for ya!

January: Carnations July: Larkspur/Delphinium

February: Violet/Iris August: Gladiolus

March: Daffodil September: Aster

April: Sweet Pea/Daisy October: Marigold

May: Lily November: Chrysanthemum

June: Rose December: Narcissus/Poinsettia

Marvelous Mommy Day: As a mom myself, Mother’s Day is a special time; it’s recognition for all the sweet and glorious hard work us mommy’s do in order to take care of our beautiful babies and fantastic husbands. Remind your sweet wife that she’s your whole world by giving her a gorgeous bouquet of her favorite flowers!

A Life of Forever with You: Your anniversary day is one of the most important days y’all will have together; it was a day of pure enigmatic joy as love saturated the air and promises of forever were whispered ever so softly. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting your anniversary day! Bring home a gorgeous bouquet of roses to show your wonderful wife how much you love her!

Bringing Home Baby: This one isn’t quite as popular as the other occasions, but it’s still a great time to get fabulous flowers for the new mommy! A small bouquet of sweet smelling flowers will help to brighten the plain hospital room. Although you both will only have eyes for each other and your new bundle of joy, a bouquet of flowers will help to make the room feel a little homier!

Now, gentleman, since y’all have a list of occasions that are great for flowers, there are no more excuses! So, now that the opportunity is here, take the moment and surprise her with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on hers or y’alls special day!

March is my absolute favorite time of the year – mostly because it’s the month when my fabulous hubby and I got married. With the month of March comes a thawing of frost, the blooming of flowers, the warm kiss of the sun’s rays on your cheeks; simply put, March is one of the best months to get married in. Between the warming temperature and the blooming flowers, you simply can’t find a more beautiful backdrop or more comfortable time. Since March is marching away, you’re probably on the rush to finish last minute things, such as table cards. So, in order to help you out a bit with ideas and how-to’s, here are some gorgeous and great table placement card ideas for ya!

Floral and Chalkboard Table Number by Gemma Morgan

Table Numbers: First things first – table numbers. There are, literally, hundreds of different table number ideas, but my favorite has to be the floral table numbers, simply because March is a gorgeous time filled with blooms and delicious scents. Here are the directions:

Iron-on letters or numbers (if you want to change it up from the widely used numbers, you can place your guests at tables a, b, c, and so on.)

Assembly:

Snip one flower, leaving the stem ¼ of an inch longer than the bottle

Place flower in bottle – add a little water to elongate flowers life (or leave without water)

Cut material into triangles, and then wrap around one stick.

Iron on table number on each side of material

Place completed table number in bottle with flower, place on table, and done!

Table Seating Chart: To continue with that vintage chic, floral theme that we’ve got going on, let’s opt for something like this: a large white board surrounded by your flowers of choice (opt, again, for flowers in season) and toss in a ton of Baby’s Breath. Baby’s Breath is super inexpensive, it’s a gorgeous filler, and it lasts for forever (almost literally) Here are the (generic) directions:

1: Medium in size, to have you and your fiancé’s name and wedding date written/typed on (opt for calligraphic text)

However many cards you need per table (if you have 7 tables, get 7 rectangular cards and type each person’s name on the cards)

Assembly: This is pretty self-explanatory and relatively easy. All you need to do is have all the above information printed on each card stock (guests names typed on each card, telling them which table they’re at) and glued to the large white board. After that’s completed, you attach all of the flowers on the edge of the white board. Once that’s finished, if it won’t look too overdone, add simple decoration pieces (like pearls, lace, or whatever else you can think of) on the table cards, underneath the table number.

This is just one of many table seating ideas, and it can easily be changed to your preference! It has a vintage chic appeal, so it’s perfect for all you vintage brides!

Save the dates are marvelous for many reasons – you have the ability to give your guests a notice well in advance, it sets the date in stone, and it prepares you for the next step, the invitations. Now, for those of you who want to save a few pennies, there are a few ways of going about it, one being DIY save the dates!As I was scrolling through my Microsoft Word menu, I noticed a template for save the dates! How convenient! So, I went ahead and started playing around with it to see what I could come up with. Not only was it easy, but the result was professional, easy, and free! So, here are a few ideas that include Microsoft Word and a few great websites!

Microsoft Word: For those of you with an updated version of Microsoft Word (Microsoft 2013) than these directions will be easier for you to follow. For those of you who have older versions, I’m sure the directions are similar, but you may have to dig a little deeper to do the same thing. Let’s get started!

Step 1: When you go into the File page, you’ll scroll down to see the section that says New. Click on the Save the Date tab.

Step 2: After selecting the tab, it’ll bring you to the invitation page. Here is where you can make it your own. Add you and your spouse’s name, wedding date, and location in the appropriate places. You can align them however you want by clicking on Layout. Once you’ve finished the layout, you can change the color, font, and style by selecting the Design button.

Step 3: Once you’ve designed the save the date as you want, make sure to save it! Now that you have it completed, you can take it to your nearest Staples or Office Depot to print it out on decent card stock.

Shutterfly: This is a really popular website that many brides (including my wonderful friend!) has used and the save the dates always come out fabulously. On this website, you can upload your own photos, design the cards however you want, order, and print! This allows you to make and design the invitation however you want, giving you the freedom to make it as personal and detailed as you want.

Vistaprint: This is another great website where you can not only make your save the dates, but you can also create your invitations. Make sure (with both websites) you know exactly how many cards you need, and then order 3 or 4 extra, just in case you forgot someone or wanted to add someone to your guest list.

Tinyprints: This is another website where you can create your own invitations with some of the pre-designed templates that they have. You don’t have quite as much designing freedom, but the templates they do have are wonderful and gorgeous, so no worries about attraction and style here!

These are just four of many different ways you can create your own invitations! If you have any other invitation ideas, be sure to leave an idea in the comments section! Any and all ideas are appreciated, loved, and definitely considered!

Ok, so far we’ve taken a look at indoor Celtic-themed wedding decorations, but what about those of you who are hosting you wedding outdoors? If you’re on a budget and you’re a DIY fanatic, you can go about decorating your reception and ceremony area with a personal touch! There are so many cool and fun DIY projects for you to do, but I’m only going to mention a few. So, if you’re ready to check out some great outdoor wedding decorations, here are some ideas!

Lighting: Again, lighting is super important when it comes to decorations for many reasons. Some of the reasons include bathing your guests in an illuminating glow that allows them to see everything and everyone, and having the proper lighting ensures that your photographer will be able to capture all the right moments in the best light possible. Here are a few lighting ideas:

Paper Lanterns- Paper lanterns are absolutely stunning – they create a whimsical appeal, giving your wedding that mystical appeal. You can get a variety of sizes and colors on great websites such as this!

Candles: You can hang a whole bunch of little candles in clear jars from the limbs of trees or place them on the tables. The options are endless, and with a whole bunch of little candles all over the place, your reception and ceremony area will be well lit! You can find a bunch of little white candles at dollar stores, or you can order them online. You can purchase a bundle for a great price on Amazon, or you can order them from actual online candle stores.

Fabrics for Decoration: Let’s take a look at some other decoration pieces that you can purchase or do yourself!

Sheer White Cotton Drapes: You can use these for a lot of different things. For example, you can use them to drape over and through the pillars of the arch, you can use them above the table where you and your wedding party eat, and you can use them to drape on the side of the benches. Finding white linen is easy – you can either order it online or you can buy bolts of fabric at your local fabric shop.

Burlap: This is usually a rustic decoration piece, but done just right you can really make it Celtic! Websites such as this offer a huge selection of burlap rolls for great prices. You can purchase Tartan burlap here or at your local fabric shops.

Celtic Knot by travelling.steve

Outdoor Tabletop Decorations: Like we’ve mentioned before, a whole lot of greenery is a good thing! It’s reminiscent of the Irish mountains and rolling hills that are draped with a rich green blanket of grass and clovers. Here are some ideas:

Candles: Candles are great decoration pieces for your tables. Place tall and squatty candles in clear vases, and then surround the bottom with lush greenery. Throw in a few baby’s breath for a snap of white.

Celtic Cross: You can place a Celtic cross in the middle of each table for that perfect Celtic touch. You can find gorgeous Celtic crosses on websites like this!

Celtic Knot: Not only is the Celtic Knot an intrinsic piece, but it would also be a great decoration item as well. You can hang the Celtic knot on the front of the bridal party dining table, you can place them on the guest’s tables, or you can use mini Celtic knots for guest seating and as favors.

These are just a few of the many great outdoor decoration ideas that you can pick from. With your wedding being outdoors, you can let nature do a lot of the “wowing.” Using simple yet gorgeous Celtic pieces to decorate your tables will give your reception and ceremony area a touch of perfection!

Ok, now that we have a list of Celtic themed wedding favors, now we can take a deeper look into some great DIY Celtic themed wedding decorations. Remember, lighting is important, so we’ll take a look at some great light fixture ideas!

Table Lanterns by FestivitiesMN

DIY Decorations: This may seem a bit daunting, but truth be told, this could be more fun than you think! We’ll organize decorations by indoor and outdoor, focusing today on indoor decorations. If you’re wedding is outside, the next blog post is just for you! Ok, so, here are some great indoor DIY decoration ideas just for you!

Flowers: This is an easy one. If you’re on a budget, a great way to keep things under control is to minimize the actual use of flowers. Instead, opt for buds and lots of greenery. Ireland is known for its green, rolling hills and greenery painting the surfaces of walls, trees, and homes, so a lot of greenery isn’t bad. Opt for Bells of Ireland for your greenery and then throw in some of your other favorites. Place them strategically on a few tables, on the outer arm of every other chair or pew in the church, and then maybe one or two vases of flowers on the serving tables (if there’s room).

Lighting: This is a biggie. If you want your guests to be able to see well, especially if your wedding is in the evening, than you will need to take care to make sure your reception room is well lit. Some lighting ideas include:

Candles: Short, squatty candles of varying heights are great in clusters. For a little extra Celtic twist, you can adhere a 4-leaf clover or horse shoe on one or two of the candles per table.

Lanterns: If you’re indoors, you can place the lanterns on each table. The fun part about lanterns is you can find them at second hand stores. Having a variety of styles and sizes makes your decorations more interesting while remaining consistent.

Icicle Lights: You can find inexpensive boxes on Amazon. You can hang these everywhere – the entranceway, above you and your wedding party at the dinner table, even on the front of the serving table(s). Hang them above a few windows and on your favors table even. Remember, the more lighting, the better.

Table Cloths and Runners: Your tables need to be covered in order to make it more ornate, attractive, and decorative. If your wedding colors incorporate green at all, you could opt for a deep, emerald green table runner to go over a crisp, white table cloth. Your chairs could be covered in a crisp white cover with an emerald green sash. Another idea is to have emerald green napkins as well. Choose one or two of the table ideas, not all of them. You don’t want to go overboard. Another idea is to do every other table one way or the other, that way you can add a consistent variety. A lot of places that you rent dinnerware from also provide table cloths or runners. If you want both, you can always shop online for bolts of cloth for your table runners, or you can shop on Amazon or EBay for inexpensive runners.

These are just a few of the many ideas for decorations that you can consider for your indoor Celtic themed wedding! For those of you celebrating outside, take a look at tomorrow’s blog post and see what’s up!